The Sanctuary Foundation for Prayer

The energy of love will never do for us that which we ought to do for ourselves; but will ever back up the creature’s efforts by its grace, coming into action just where our action fails.

It makes me sad, carrying on like Jesus is not here, like God didn’t love us so much that he died and rose for us. Me – like some self indulgent, disingenuous little twit saying with Philip, “Just show us the Father, then we will all believe.

..all man’s miseries derive from not being able to sit quietly in a room alone. Blaise Pascal After living over sixty years in the same house, my ninety six year old mother recently moved. We had cajoled, pleaded, and argued with mom about a move for some time.

Kansas is not at its best right now. Day after day of colorless, dishwater skies, slushy piles of dirty snow, and car eating potholes are taking a toll on our general cheer.

Then the star came out. Of course it had to be something like that. It needed to be something they couldn’t chew up, pee on, or hide in the hay. What they were looking for was something worthy of their faith, worthy of making the trip – worth the courage and energy it would require.

We are nearest to God when we have gone out from our egos – our own knowing, our worries, and desires – and are vulnerably present to Holiness.

Come on now. Don’t quibble. Don’t make that angel stand out in the cold, you standing there clutching your worry and anxiety. Take a chance on Love. Go ahead in 2010 and choose the Child who is choosing you.

Once in the fields in a storm hunched down in a cave I saw a red tongue of fire leap from the heavens lick down a cedar,and split it in two. The cloven tree shuddered and screeched as it crashed to the ground, like an animal in the jaw of some great beast.